The 25 Best Vintage Stores in America

Because the best way to dress like Steve McQueen, Miles Davis, or Kurt Cobain is to mix in second-hand clothes from the eras when those icons actually lived

Whether you're looking to punch up your wardrobe on a tight budget or you're chasing down a perfectly broken-in 1960s Belstaff Trialmaster jacket, every man of style needs second-hand shops in his arsenal. Here, vintage expert Ned Martelwho has travelled nearly every state in the union in search of weathered Levi's and military surplus duffelsdivulges the 25 best sources for clothing and accessories that have already stood the test of time.

Bobby Garnett has created a Beantown mecca, and major-label designers have made the pilgrimage for years. Of course, there are heaps of Levi's to try on and, for those willing to mix brass buttons and epaulets with their jeans and tees, a full inventory of military coats. Garnett's stock is a good reminder that wearing something old need not mean wearing something ironically downtrodden. Sure, beardsters can studiously slum it in his workwear options, but there are also gentlemanly suits that can transform a customer from ratty to natty in no time.